Asheboro Holiday Lights

About Asheboro

Asheboro is a city in and the county seat of Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 27,156 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Greensboro–High Point Metropolitan Area of the Piedmont Triad and is home of the state-owned North Carolina Zoo. == History == Asheboro was named after Samuel Ashe, the ninth governor of North Carolina (1795–1798), and became the county seat of Randolph County in 1796. It was a small village in the 1800s, with a population of less than 200 through the Civil War; its main function was housing the county courthouse, and the town was most active when court was in session. Asheboro's population only began to grow significantly following its connection to railroads: the High Point, Randleman, Asheboro and Southern Railroad first served the city in 1889, followed by the Montgomery Railroad in 1896.Asheboro emerged as a textile production center in the 20th century with the opening of the Acme Hosiery Mills in 1909. After World War II, the city's manufacturing sector grew to include batteries, wires and food products. The city's main tourist attraction, the North Carolina Zoo, opened in 1974.Asheboro suffered from an economic downturn in the 2000s due to a decline in its traditional manufacturing industries amid increasing competition from overseas; the national news program 60 Minutes described it as a "dying town" in 2012.Asheboro was a "dry city" until the laws were changed in 2008 to allow alcohol sales. In 2015 Four Saints Brewing company opened, leading to an improved economy in the downtown area. === Historic buildings === The following buildings in Asheboro are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: Acme-McCrary Hosiery Mills Asheboro Hosiery Mills and Cranford Furniture Company Complex Central School Wilson Kindley Farm and Kindley Mine Lewis-Thornburg Farm Mount Shepherd Pottery Site Randolph County Courthouse Sunset Theater Thayer Farm Site (31RD10) == Geography == According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.4 square miles (40 km2), of which 15.3 square miles (40 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.58%) is water.